Parents face ‘childcare deserts’ as providers are lost, Lib Dems claim
“Childcare deserts” are leaving parents across England without options, it has been claimed, after new research revealed the number of providers has fallen by a fifth.
The number of nurseries and childminders has dropped from more than 61,000 in 2019 to 48,143, with every area except the City of London seeing a fall in the number of providers.
The biggest decline has been in the South East, with 2,332 childcare providers lost since 2019.
Surrey, Hampshire and Hertfordshire saw the largest drops in the number of providers, as the counties lost 402, 395 and 333 providers respectively.
However, it is in the North East where the greatest proportion of childcare settings has been lost, with a drop of more than 27 per cent in nurseries and childminders.
The figures have been revealed as the Government has further expanded its free childcare provision, with parents invited to register for 15 hours of free childcare for children from nine months old, taking effect in September.
The offer is expected to save parents on average £6,900 a year once it has been fully implemented.
Rishi Sunak has heralded the plans as “England’s largest ever childcare expansion”, saying it will give working families “the peace of mind that they will be supported” so they can return to work and help to grow the economy.
But the figures on providers have raised concerns that the sector will be unable to meet the demand that stems from the Department for Education’s plans.
The new research, conducted by the House of Commons Library for the Liberal Democrats, found that the number of childcare places has fallen by 56,000 between 2019 and August 2023.
In Rutland in the East Midlands, a quarter of childcare places have been lost over the same period.
Four in five areas in England have seen a decline in the number of childcare places available in nurseries, daycare groups and childminders.
The Liberal Democrats have accused the Government of “years of neglect” of the childcare sector and a lack of funding.
Munira Wilson, the party’s education spokesman, said: “This Conservative government has created childcare deserts through their years of neglect.
“This stark postcode lottery means that parents in many areas of the country are left completely without options.
“Free hours are no good if parents can’t find a good nursery or childminder for their child – and thanks to this Conservative Government’s underfunding, millions of parents now face the almost impossible task of finding childcare.
“There are fewer providers, less choice for parents and no guarantee they will find a place for their child at all.”
Last month, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) warned that there were “significant uncertainties around whether the sector can implement the changes and be financially sustainable”.
They said that this was because the early years sector had not been consulted on the plans, and added that it remained “unclear whether the extension will achieve its primary aim (and) represent value for money”.
More than 211,000 two-year-olds are already benefiting from Government-funded places, and the Department for Education (DfE) has said that all councils report that they are meeting demand.
But they have said that a further 15,000 childcare places will be needed before the autumn, and an additional 70,000 will be required for next September.
Research ‘ignores provision in schools’
A Department for Education spokesman claimed the research was “completely misleading”, pointing to an increased number of childcare places within schools.
“The reality is that the number of registered childcare places has increased by around 40,000 since 2018,” he said.
“Every local authority is currently meeting its duty to ensure there are sufficient places and we are confident they will meet parental demand for this coming September, as all of them have done with the first stage of the rollout in April.”
Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, slammed the Liberal Democrats for “flawed research” which she said “ignores the number of childcare places within schools, completely overlooking a major part of the sector.
“The reality is that the number of registered childcare places has increased by 40,000 since 2018.
“Labour and the Liberal Democrats should stop sniping from the sidelines, criticising our brilliant childcare sector, and finally come clean with the public about what their plan for childcare is.”
